Pet blanket

ABSTRACT

A pet blanket providing anti-flea properties is disclosed. The blanket is formed of an upper, permeable layer and a lower, impermeable layer, which together form a closeable pocket for receiving an insert that is impregnated with one or more anti-flea agents. As a pet reclines on the upper, permeable layer, the anti-flea agent(s) diffuse from the insert, through the permeable layer and onto the supine animal.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS AND CLAIM FOR FOREIGN PRIORITY

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/214,434, filed Aug. 7, 2002, which is a continuation of InternationalPatent Application Number PCT/GB01/00431, filed Feb. 2, 2001, and claimsforeign priority benefits from Great Britain Patent Application Number0002635.1, filed Feb. 7, 2000. The entire contents of the priorapplications is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to blankets for animals and in particular, to petblankets having anti-flea properties.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Flea infestation of animals can be both very troublesome to the animalssuffering therefrom, as well as to any other animals or humans cominginto contact therewith. If flea infestations are left untreated, theycan lead to substantial hair loss and irritation of the skin of theaffected animal. If particularly prevalent or left untreated for a longperiod of time, such infestations can lead to anemia or even death ofthe animal through blood loss and subsequent weakness to the animalcaused by the parasitic nature of the fleas.

Treatment of infested animals varies, but generally, they are treatedwith flea sprays or powders. The disadvantage of this is that theanti-flea product has to be applied in a well ventilated area as theactive ingredients can cause irritation to the eyes or respiratory tractof the human applying the product. Furthermore, treatments often have tobe repeated each time fleas reappear, and this frequently results intreatment at weekly intervals.

In addition, anti-flea sprays and powders cannot be used on sick andconvalescing animals as they could be detrimental to their health.Therefore, it is necessary for such animals to be treated only by aveterinary surgeon which can be very costly to the pet owner. Moreover,in the case of young animals, pregnant and nursing females, in order toprevent adverse effects to the unborn or newly born animals, the fleasshould be removed by use of a flea comb.

Furthermore, if the pet is an indoor pet, a flea infestation almostcertainly will also lead to infestation of household soft furnishing andcarpets. Home infestations must be treated in a manner similar to ananimal infestation, whereby the infected furnishings and carpets must betreated with an appropriate insecticide and subsequently thoroughlyvacuumed in order to prevent re-infestation. Accordingly, it is easierfor the animal owner to try and prevent flea infestations of their pet,as well as their home, rather than having to treat an infestation. Inlight of this, treatment of the home should be carried out on a routinebasis, in order to prevent infestation by fleas carried into the houseby their animals. These measures are laborious, time-consuming andexpensive, especially where several rooms in the home must be treated.

Other preventative measures include treating the animal's bedding andbasket with a suitable insecticide. Application of the insecticide must,of course, be carried out at regular intervals in order to remaineffective. The insecticide must also be reapplied each time the beddingis washed. Again, these measures are also very laborious, and manyowners will neglect to maintain the appropriate frequency ofre-application, thereby reducing the efficacy of the insecticide.

The use of flea collars is another familiar treatment, although thesehave been shown to have limited success. In cats, for example, fleacollars often become slack through use, and, not only may they beremoved by the animal, they can cause injury should the animal's frontleg become trapped therein. Such injuries might include bums or tears inthe skin under the trapped leg. The disadvantages of flea collars arequite common, as many owners neglect to replace the collar atappropriate intervals.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a purpose of the present invention to provide an improvedalternative to currently used flea treatments, wherein the inventionobviates or mitigates the aforementioned disadvantages and shortcomingsof known flea treatments. According to the principles of the presentinvention, a pet blanket having anti-flea properties is provided.

In one embodiment, the pet blanket comprises two layers of material,constructed so as to form a selectively closeable pocket. While theblanket will most commonly be in the shape of a square or rectangle, anyshape may, of course, be used. In addition, while the blanket may alsobe of any suitable dimensions, the size of the blanket will be dependentupon the size of the pet for which it is being used. Approximatedimensions of a pet blanket for an average canine might be 45 cm by 60cm, and for an average feline, 45 cm by 45 cm.

A first layer of the blanket is made from a permeable material and thesecond layer is made from an impermeable material. The blanket furthercomprises at least one insert for selective insertion into the closeablepocket. The insert is preferably comprised of an absorbent material thathas been pre-treated with an emollient ester-based mixture containing atleast one anti-flea agent. Preferably, the absorbent material is suchthat it allows for optimum dispersal of the anti-flea agent(s)throughout the insert. In this manner, when the insert is placed withinthe pocket, and the animal comes into contact, e.g., lies down on thepermeable layer of the blanket, an optimal area of the animal's bodywill be exposed to the anti-flea activity of the anti-flea agent(s).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts one example of a pet blanket according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 depicts the other side of the example pet blanket of FIG. 1together with an example insert according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 depicts the insert of FIG. 2 partially placed within the pocketof the pet blanket.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly the principles of the present invention provide variousembodiments of a pet blanket comprised of two layers of material adaptedsuch that together, they form a closeable pocket which is adapted toreceive an insert formed of an absorbent material and that has beentreated with one or more anti-flea agents. In the context of thisinvention, the term “anti-flea agent” is intended to included compoundshaving flea repellent properties, as well as those that are toxic andfatal to fleas.

FIG. 1 depicts one example of a pet blanket according to the presentinvention. The upper layer 12 of the blanket, upon which the animallies, is made of a permeable material, that is also preferably warm andcomfortable for the animal. Example of suitable materials include, butare not limited to: wool, synthetic wool, fleece or fleece-typematerials. The choice of a warm and comforting material will encouragethe pet to lie and/or sleep on the pet blanket, and thereby be exposedto the anti-flea treatment.

FIG. 2 depicts the other side of the example pet blanket of FIG. 1together with an example insert according to the present invention. Thelower layer 14 of the blanket, which contacts the floor or basket uponwhich the blanket lies, is made from an impermeable material, that ispreferably waterproof. Such materials might include, for example,plastic laminate or plastic-coated materials such as cotton or nylon.While other appropriate materials will also be easily recognized by theperson of skill, a preferred material is polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-coatednylon.

As previously indicated, the upper and lower layers of material areadapted such that together they form a closeable pocket 16. Preferably,the two layers of material will be attached at the full length of theirperimeter, but for a portion thereof, such that an opening to theinterior pocket is provided. The opening is provided with anyappropriate closure, such as, for example, hooks or other fixing means.In addition, the opening is preferably of a dimension slightly smallerthan that of the insert, such that the insert should be adapted to flex,in order to pass through the opening into the pocket. See FIG. 3.

With regard to the insert 18, which is preferably constructed to havethe same dimensions as the interior of the closeable pocket, it ispreferably formed of an absorbent or open-celled material, such that theinsert provides a multitude of reservoirs for containing the anti-fleaagent(s) within the insert. Suitable materials may include, but are notlimited to, an open-cell foam or foam-like material, such as, forexample, a polyurethane foam; or an absorbent matting, such as, forexample, a natural cellulose or a synthetic polyester mesh.

As previously stated, the dimensions of the insert should be slightlysmaller than those of the opening to the pocket, and should besubstantially the same as those of the pocket. In this way, the insertmay be flexed to pass through the opening and upon full insertion, itwill return to its normal or “unflexed” form, and then be unable toreadily pass out through the opening without again being flexed andphysically removed from the pocket.

As described, the insert will be impregnated with at least one anti-fleaagent, although a combination of agents is often preferred. Impregnationof the insert can be carried out by various standard techniques wellknown to those skilled art.

In a preferred embodiment, impregnation is achieved by mixing the activeagent(s) with an emollient ester-based mixture, which is then sprayedonto the insert. Due to the open-celled or absorbent nature of theinsert material, dispersal of the active ingredient(s) throughout theinsert is achieved.

Suitable anti-flea agents may include, but are not limited to, long orshort-acting anti-flea regulators. These agents may comprise insectgrowth regulators, which act by inhibiting the life cycle of the insectand thereby interrupting proliferation, either alone or in combinationwith adulticides, which are immediately fatal to the insect. A preferredinsect growth regulator is methoprene, Potential anti-flea agentsinclude, but are not limited to: fipronil, lufenuron, imidacloprid,pyriproxyfen, diflubenzuron, telflubenzuron, triflumuron, flufenoxuron,hexaflumuron, buprofezin, pyrethrum, pyrethrin, pyrethroids andcarbamates. A preferred combination comprises the agents methoprene andpermethrin.

Preferably, the insert system will provide a slow release of theanti-flea agent(s), such that release is dependent upon use of theblanket by the pet. For example, release of the active agent(s) might beactivated by the weight of the animal as it reclines on the blanket.

Slow or controlled release of the active agent(s) will provide anincreased duration of activity of the anti-flea agent(s). In light ofthe known activity of common anti-flea agents, it might be anticipatedthat the insert would be replaced approximately every six months.

During use, i.e., when the animal is reclined on the pet blanket of thepresent invention, the anti-flea agent(s) diffuse from the insert,through the permeable upper layer of the blanket and onto the animal.Depending upon the nature of the anti-flea agent(s), the flea populationwill be eradicated immediately in the case of an adulticide, or over aperiod of time in the case of an insect growth regulator.

Accordingly, one can easily recognize several advantages that areachieved with the pet blanket of the present invention. First, theimpregnated insert may be easily removed so that the blanket layers canbe washed without diluting the anti-flea effect(s) of the activeagent(s). Second, the use of a permeable upper layer allows the activeagent(s) to diffuse therethrough, while the use of an impermeable lowerlayer prevents loss of the agent(s) onto the basket, ground or othersurface on which the pet blanket is placed.

Moreover, as the insert is easily removable, the two layered blanket maybe reused repeatedly, with a number of inserts. The life of the blanketwill be determined by conditions external from the blanket itself, e.g.,amount of use or location of use, while the life of the insert will bedetermined by depletion of the anti-flea agent(s) through the permeableupper layer.

Most importantly, however, the pet blanket of the present inventionensures repeated and routine exposure of the animal to suitableanti-flea agents, as the animal receives a dose of the agent(s) eachtime it lies down on the blanket.

While the present invention has been described in terms of specificdetailed embodiments, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the artthat modifications or changes are possible without departing from thespirit of the invention described and taught herein. Such changes andmodifications are therefore deemed to be within the scope of the thisinvention and encompassed by the following claims.

1. A pet blanket comprising: a first layer of cloth having an outer perimeter; a second layer of a non-permeable material having an outer perimeter of substantially the same dimension as that of the first layer, the two layers being attached at their perimeters in a manner that forms a pocket from the first and second layers, and that provides an opening for access into the pocket; a removable insert impregnated with one or more anti-flea agents situatable within the pocket; and means for closing the opening to the pocket.
 2. The pet blanket according to claim 1, wherein the first layer comprises a layer of wool, synthetic wool, fleece or fleece-type material.
 3. The pet blanket according to claim 1, wherein the second layer comprises a layer of a waterproof material.
 4. The pet blanket according to claim 3, wherein the waterproof material is chosen from a plastic laminate, plastic-coated cotton or plastic-coated nylon.
 5. The pet blanket according to claim 4, wherein the waterproof material is polyvinyl chloride-coated nylon.
 6. The pet blanket according to claim 1, wherein the insert comprises an material having reservoirs for the one or more anti-flea agents.
 7. The pet blanket according to claim 6, wherein the insert comprises an open-cell or absorbent material.
 8. The pet blanket according to claim 7, wherein the insert comprises an open-cell foam or foam-like material.
 9. The pet blanket according to claim 8, wherein the insert comprises a polyurethane foam.
 10. The pet blanket according to claim 7, wherein the insert comprises an absorbent material.
 11. The pet blanket according to claim 10, wherein the insert comprises a natural cellulose or a synthetic polyester mesh.
 12. The pet blanket according to claim 1, wherein the one or more anti-flea agents comprises a combination of anti-flea agents dispersed in an emollient ester-based mixture.
 13. The pet blanket according to claim 12, wherein the combination of anti-flea agents comprises long-acting anti-flea agents, short-acting anti-flea agents or a combination thereof.
 14. The pet blanket according to claim 12, wherein the combination of anti-flea agents comprises one or more anti-flea agents having insect growth regulator properties.
 15. The pet blanket according to claim 14, wherein the one or more anti-flea agents having insect growth regulator properties comprises methoprene.
 16. The pet blanket according to claim 12, wherein the combination of anti-flea agents comprises one or more anti-flea agents having adulticidal properties.
 17. The pet blanket according to claim 16, wherein the one or more anti-flea agents having adulticidal properties comprises permethrin.
 18. The pet blanket according to claim 12, wherein the combination of anti-flea agents comprises one or more anti-flea agents having insect growth regulator properties and one or more anti-flea agents having adulticidal properties.
 19. The pet blanket according to claim 18, wherein the combination of anti-flea agents comprises methoprene and permethrin.
 20. The pet blanket according to claim 1, wherein the one or more anti-flea agents comprises one or more of fipronil, lufenuron, imidacloprid, pyriproxyfen, diflubenzuron, telflubenzuron, triflumuron, flufenoxuron, hexaflumuron, buprofezin, pyrethrum, pyrethrin, pyrethroids, carbamates, or any combination thereof. 